


Bestseller

by rufeepeach



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-24
Updated: 2012-10-24
Packaged: 2017-11-16 23:17:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/544919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rufeepeach/pseuds/rufeepeach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle buys new books for the library, and comes across a bestseller. Rumpelstiltskin bears the brunt of resulting questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bestseller

“Hey,” Rumpelstiltskin came into the Library, and Belle looked up with a smile.

“Hey,” she greeted, and went back to opening the new shipment she’d bought with Ruby’s internet and loaned credit card.

“New books?” he asked, and she nodded, happily, “I’m surprised they could get into town.”

”Magic is odd that way,” Belle agreed, “But I think people can get in and out. The FedEx van managed it, after all. It’s just us that can’t leave.”

“Unfortunately so,” Rumpelstiltskin nodded, “Updating then?”

“New bestsellers. Ruby said to start with Amazon.com’s top three in each category and work from there, try to modernise our collection.”

“I’ll leave you to it then,” he said, with a smile, “I’ll come by and fetch you for lunch, if you’re interested?”

“Of course,” she beamed, “See you then.” He left, and she went back to unpacking, sorting the books into the correct piles for stacking later. She flipped through most of them, read the back covers, and tried once again to get the flavor of the world beyond Storybrooke; the world she may never see.

One book in particular had been widely publicised on Ruby’s websites, so Belle was interested to find out what the fuss was about. “Fifty Shades Of Gray,” she read aloud from the front cover, noting with a small smile the detail of a tie picked out in silver, the same as the one Rumpelstiltskin sometimes wore. She liked his suits, she found, even if she missed the leather sometimes.

She flipped to a random page, and read a few paragraphs. Her face burned, her hand flying to her mouth as she dropped the book as if it were on fire. She wasn’t sure what half of the words had meant, but she understood enough to know that the heroine had been tied down, and the hero had been having his way with her. Roughly. With much screaming on the heroine’s part. All in all it had sounded neither pleasant nor romantic, and yet…

Belle’s curiosity was piqued. Surely, if this was popular in this world, she should endeavor to understand it? It was foolishness and cowardice to allow her upbringing to halt her education.

So she picked the book back up, set it aside, and when the work was done she settled down to read.

—-

“Rumpelstiltskin?” Belle asked, and Rumpelstiltskin’s head jerked up at the little note in her voice. Curiosity: a question was forthcoming.

“Yes, Belle?”

“What is…” she coughed, a little embarrassed, “What is a ‘vibrator’?”

He nearly choked on his tea, staring at her in utter shock as she frowned delicately. What had she found in that library of hers? What had her new friend been sharing?

“Why?” he asked, finally, needing more information and possibly a whole bottle of whiskey before he was able to have this conversation with her.

“The new shipment had a very interesting book in the mix,” she said, mildly, “Very… popular. Tell me, is it common custom in this world to tie one’s bedmate down to prevent escape?” she asked, and he was certain he was about to die of either shock, horror, or unabashed laughter.

He let out a strained little laugh, unable to keep it in.

“What’s funny?” she asked.

“It’s… no, nothing, sorry dear.” he nodded, sobering himself, “No, not common exactly, but common enough. Not unheard of.”

She nodded, “And um, how about… spanking?” she frowned, “Cook used to spank the bad children of the castle when they misbehaved, but in this world it appears to be different. Spanking one’s lover is normal?”

“Again,” he replied, as soberly as possible, “Not… unheard of. Dearie, where did you hear of these things?”

“This book is very popular, Rumple,” she said, seriously, “A bestseller. It contains a lot of… well, I’ve read romances. But the couple never seem to leave the bedroom and their activities sound rather painful.”

“What’ve you been reading?” Ruby asked, as she handed over their food.

“Fifty Shades Of Grey,” Belle said, smiling, “Why?”

Ruby burst out laughing, unable to stop, and Rumpelstiltskin found himself asking, “Do you know something, dear?”

“It’s ah… an interesting choice,” Ruby nodded, smirking, and then in an undertone, leaning in as she handed over his food to Belle couldn’t hear, “It’s a kinky book, Gold. Lots of BDSM and leather and chains and things.”

“Oh.” his mouth went dry, and he nodded his thanks, “How did you-“

“Curse memories,” she said, quickly, standing up, “And my other self liked that kind of thing. In books,” she clarified, quickly, “Obviously.” she blushed, and said too-cheerily, “Enjoy!”

“So… did you enjoy your new book, Belle?” he asked, and he shouldn’t have but he couldn’t help it. The idea of it, not of harming her or of the extremes Ruby described, but perhaps of one day binding his Belle with something softer, scarves or clothes, to pleasure her and make her cry out… he couldn’t let go of it.

“The writing was a little off,” Belle mused, swallowing her mouthful of burger, “But the ideas were… interesting. There was no plot, though.”

“Pornography doesn’t need one.” Rumpelstiltskin muttered, and Belle stared at him. “Still, serves its purpose.”

“Which is?”

“To titilate,” he told her, voice dropping, smirk forming, “To tease, to… excite.”

“Oh.” She breathed, and nodded, “Well then, yes… it was rather exciting.”

He swallowed hard, and filed that information away for good use one day.


End file.
